Way Back When
by poseysharman
Summary: A little look back to when Caroline and Tyler were little. Caroline/Tyler fluff.


**_Yes, so here's another Caroline/Tyler little story :). I wanted to do something a bit different, so I thought of what they all had to be like when they were kids. And, of course, I saw mini Caroline and mini Tyler has little enemies :). Anyways, I had a better draft of this, but my computer crashed, and I lost it, so I had to restart. I don't think this is too bad though, I'm actually quite pleased :). Feedback is nice though! _**

**_P.S- yes, that mega mini little character named James you'll meet is someone I completly made up. I felt as though Bonnie needed a guy to be friends with back then!_**

**_DISCLAIMER: I sadly own nothing of The Vampire Diaries._**

**_ENJOY! R&R_**

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**Way Back When**

When Caroline Forbes was five years old, she met Tyler Lockwood for the first time. It was their first day of kindergarten, and their mothers had run into each other in the process of dropping their children off. They had easily got wrapped up in a conversation, leaving the two children next to them, starring at each other.

Caroline stood half behind her mother, all while holding her hand. She wore a light pink dress, and white sandals, her blonde hair placed in little pigtails.

Tyler, on the other hand, stood a few inches away from his mother, his arms crossed across his chest. He wore a simple pair of denim jeans, and a black shirt that read "too cool for school" across it in white letters. His relatively short black hair was slightly messy.

The two mothers talked for another minute or so before realizing their children haven't moved yet. They suggested the kids go off and play, but when neither moved, the older women decided it was time for them to leave. Mrs. Forbes bent down and kissed Caroline on her forehead, as Caroline hugged her mother, begging her not to leave. Meanwhile, Mrs. Lockwood went to kiss her son, only to get a "gross" right after, as Tyler whipped his cheek from his mother's lipstick mark.

Another minute later, Caroline and Tyler were left standing by themselves off in the corner of the playground. Both kids starred at each other, not sure what exactly they should say.

Caroline decided she'd speak first. "Hi. I'm Caroline."

"Tyler."

Caroline read his shirt. "How can you hate school already?"

Tyler glared at her. He expected that nobody else besides him would be able to read his shirt. He didn't count on the already overachieving five year old named Caroline. " 'Cause girls with cooties go here."

Caroline looked at him, appalled. "I don't have cooties!"

"You probably have it more than any other girl!""You take that back you…you…jerk!"

Tyler stuck his tongue out at her. "Make me!"

"I will!"

And with that Caroline Forbes, in her new pink dress, and perfectly white sandals, went running as fast as she could at Tyler. Tyler, only having time to mutter a quick "Uh oh", turned and ran across the playground from her as fast as his little legs could carry him.

She chased him across the black top, past a row of benches, to the swings, and past a big purple slide. She chased him passed a five year old Matt Donavan sitting on a rock, alone, and passed a five year old Elena Gilbert, talking to her newly found friend, Bonnie. Caroline didn't stop for any of these kids, she was too busy chasing Tyler.

And from that day, a war had started between Caroline Forbes and Tyler Lockwood. Almost everyday it was the same thing. Tyler would make a comment at Caroline, or make a face at her, and she'd go running off to make him regret it.

However, Caroline had soon formed a quick friendship with Elena and Bonnie, all three of them sharing a dislike for mean boys. Tyler formed his own friendship with Matt, both sharing a love for any kind of sports, along with the dislike of icky girls. The closer the two came to their separate friends, the less they crossed each other's paths. As they rounded first grade, they seemed to have silently decide to just avoid each other. Tyler would spend his recesses with Matt, showing those kindergarteners, and even second graders, how sports were meant to be played, while Caroline was too busy playing princesses with Elena and Bonnie. It seemed like the feud between Forbes and Lockwood would end there.

That was until the first day of second grade.

It turned out that that year Caroline, Elena, Bonnie, Matt and Tyler had all ended up with the same teacher, Miss. Adams. They were told on the first day to go find which desk had their nametag on it, and wherever it was, was where they'd be sitting. Elena ended up sitting with Matt, forming a quick friendship with him over the years. Bonnie ended up sitting with a boy named James, someone who would end up moving within a few short years. What was the most surprising, however, was where Caroline was set to sit.

Next to Tyler.

As soon as the two discovered this, instant begs and pleas started to get their seats moved. But Miss. Adams would not budge. She saw it as a chance for them to form a new friendship. Caroline and Matt saw it as a form of torture. And with one little seating chart, their rivalry was set up once again.

They duo bickered over everything. Any project they had to work together on ended in disaster. Anything they were told to share between them always seemed to break. Whenever it was Arts and Crafts time for the class, the pairs of desks were meant to share any crayons placed between them. This, of course, always was a problem for Tyler and Caroline.

"I need the green," said Tyler one day during Arts and Crafts time.

"Well too bad. I'm using it to color my grass," said Caroline.

"Is that you in the picture? The one in the ugly pink dress?"

"As a matter of fact, yes it is. Why?"

"Then I think you need a brown 'cause any grass you step on would be dead!"

Caroline glared at him. "At least my face doesn't break mirrors like your ugly one does."

"My face is the most handsomest one ever! Now, give me the green!"

"No! You don't need as much as I do!"

"I need it more than you! Give it!"

"Make me!" Tyler gave her a dirty look, then reached over to take the green out of her hand. Caroline, noticing him attempting to take it just in time, tightened her grip on the crayon, and pulled away. Instead of either of them getting the full crayon, it broke in half, leaving them both with half.

"Ooooh, look what you did! I'm telling!" said Caroline.

"Me! You did it, you little tattletale!" said Tyler, a bit louder.

"Am not! You take that back!"

"Never!"

The two children started getting louder, and louder, attracting the attention of Elena and Matt who sat in front of them.

"Guysss," whined Elena, "stop yelling before we all get in trouble again!"

"Tyler, I'm not missing kickball again," warned Matt, remembering back to yesterday, when Caroline and Tyler caused the whole class to miss recess.

"It was Caroline's fault! It's always her fault!" defended Tyler.

"Is not! Liar, liar, pants on fire!"

"Nobody calls me a liar!"

"Guys stop!" said Elena, as firmly as a seven year old could be. Apparently, this was enough, for the two bickering kids stopped talking, only glaring at each other now.

"I'll get you for calling me that, Forbes," warned Tyler in a whisper.

"Bring it," whispered Caroline back.

That afternoon, Tyler meant every word he said. He skipped kickball that day to sneak up on Caroline and the girls playing their own game. He popped up from behind a rock, causing the three girls to shriek in fear. He jumped up, and started half walking, half jogging right to Caroline, who screamed once again, and took off running. Tyler followed right behind her, this time him being the one chasing her. However, neither of them thought of how unsafe it was for Caroline running in her new sandals. She tripped over a rock a minute later, falling to the ground. Tyler ran up to her, grinning, for he felt he beat her. His face fell, though, when he noticed tears forming in Caroline's eyes. He looked down to Caroline's knees, which were now covered in fresh scrapes that were starting to bleed.

"Look what you did!" sobbed Caroline, now fully crying. "You caused me to fall!"

"Did not! You fell on your own!"

"You were chasing me-it's your fault!"

Tyler sighed after a few moments of hearing Caroline whimper. He reached his hand down to help her up. "Come on, I'll take you to the nurse." he rolled his eyes, hating himself for feeling guilty for this.

Caroline, after hesitating for a second, took his hand and stood up, her bottom lip quivering as she tried to stop crying. The duo walked to the nearest teacher, who told them to go right in and go straight to the nurse.

Inside, the nurse cleaned up Caroline, telling her that she was perfectly fine; that it was "only a tiny little cut." Tyler never left her for a moment for guilt still ate at him.

Caroline noticed how nice he was being to her, and whispered a "thank you," almost too quiet for him to hear.

"What was that?" he asked.

"You heard me."

"Maybe I wanna hear it again," he said, smirking. Caroline rolled her eyes, but cracked a tiny smile. Tyler ended up doing the same.

A second later, Caroline caught herself, and glared at him again. "This doesn't mean I like you."

"Good, 'cause I still don't like you!"

"Good!"

Tyler stuck his tongue out at her as a bell rung, signaling they missed the rest of their recess. Caroline made a face right back at him as he walked out of the nurse's office to head back to class.

The next day, Caroline and Tyler went back to their old ways, chasing each other constantly. Elena and Matt grew closer, as did Bonnie and James, making it so the six of them spent more and more time at recess together. The six would usually play some game picked by the girls, but they always ended the same: with Caroline threatening to beat up Tyler, then proceeding to chase him down.

This process continued over the course of their elementary school years. By the time they hit the sixth grade, James had moved, and the now remaining five had seen each other even less. But they continued to keep their friendships in tact. By the time they were thirteen, Matt had formed some confusing feelings for Elena, making him want to spend all his time with her. This forced his best friend, and wingman, Tyler to do the same, meaning he spent more time with Caroline. Their childish games of chasing each other around grew to become witty banter between the two.

On Bonnie's thirteenth birthday, she held her first ever boy-girl party. After her patents had trustfully left them alone in the room, Elena decided they should play their first game ever of spin the bottle. This led to Elena's first kiss with Matt, leaving Matt hoping it would not be their last. When it came to Caroline's turn, she was nervous. She never kissed someone before, meaning this would be her first time.

As luck would have it, it landed on Tyler.

"Ew!" she exclaimed, hoping to her feet. "No way!"

"I'm not kissing her!" yelled Tyler, jumping up after Caroline.

"You have to," said Elena, "it's the rules!"

"Yeah, buddy, do it," said Matt, smirking.

"But, but," whined Caroline.

"No buts, Car," said Bonnie, smiling.

Tyler mumbled a lot of swears to himself, as he and Caroline walked slowly to each other.

"So not going to enjoy this," mumbled Caroline.

"Yeah? Well me neither," said Tyler.

They both made faces at each other as they leaned in. A second later, their lips met. And when they did, it seemed as though sparks were flying. Caroline wasn't sure how a kiss felt, but she knew deep down, that this was something special. Tyler, also never been kissed before, noticed how soft Caroline's lips were, and secretly wondered if making out with her would feel this good. He pushed that thought away instantly though.

They pulled away, pretending to be disgusted with the kiss, but deep down they both knew it meant something more than they could comprehend at the moment.

About seven months later, Caroline, now just turned fourteen, had gotten her first boyfriend. She talked about him almost nonstop to anyone who would listen. She especially enjoyed talking about him when Tyler was present, just to rub it in that she found someone special to her.

Tyler told her constantly how the guy was "just a tool", and when Caroline wasn't around, he made sure to tell everyone how much of a "douche bag" her boyfriend was. It was clear to everyone that Tyler didn't like him; it wasn't clear to Tyler on why he didn't like him though.

About a month into the relationship, Caroline discovered her boyfriend wasn't exactly what she thought. He was cheating on her. This destroyed Caroline, bringing her to tears one day. She sat in the empty hallway of school, trying to control her tears after she found out. Only a short ten minutes ago, she had witnessed as he placed a longer than a second kiss on a different blonde. Caroline didn't even wait for an explanation, she took of running. She stopped in the furthest deserted hallway she could find, and sunk to the floor.

Too bad it was the exact moment Tyler decided to come out of detention, the class 50 feet away from her. He noticed her before she noticed him, therefore, she had no time to hide her tears.

"Car…?"

Caroline looked up, startled. "Wha-What do you-you want?"

"Are you crying?"

"May-maybe," sobbed Caroline.

Tyler, unable to stop himself, slid down onto the floor next to her. "What's wrong?"

"Why do you care?" Caroline was finally able to control her heavy sobs.

Tyler sighed. "Just trying to be nice for once."

"Well you won't be after you hear what happened…"Tyler looked at her confused, "What are you talking about, Car?"

"You were right, Tyler, okay!" she almost screamed. "About everything," she added, whispering this time.

"For the last time, Caroline, what are you talking about? Start from the beginning."

"You were right about him. He is a douche, and a jerk, and a tool, and…" she trailed off, taking deep breaths to stop herself from crying.

"I'm assuming we're talking about your perfect boyfriend, here."

Caroline scoffed. "He's not perfect. And he's not my boyfriend anymore…he-he cheated on me."

Tyler was quiet, not sure what to say for he was taken back by this. "How…how do you know?"

"I saw him with my own two eyes all over some blonde bimbo." Tyler was quiet, so after a minute, Caroline continued. "What? No witty remarks? No 'I told you so'? Come on Tyler, you were right, and you know it. I was too stupid to see what you obviously saw. You know you want to, so go a head and say it. Say how stupid, and naive I am, and how you were right from the beginning!"

"Caroline, listen to me," said Tyler. "We may not like each other, and we may argue more than anyone else out there on the planet, but I would never rub it in about how someone cheated on you, alright? I wouldn't. Because as much as you can annoy the hell out of me, I don't want to see anyone, but me, causing you pain. That's my job."

Caroline starred at Tyler, taken back by what he had just said. Tyler seemed to have his own surprised face on, as if he couldn't believe what he just said. Their eyes met, and a smile, a genuine smile, formed on both of their lips.

"You know Tyler Lockwood, for a self-centered, egotistical, jerk…you aren't so bad…"

"Your not so bad yourself, Forbes, especially for a manic, loud and controlling person."

And for a moment, both of them thought of how things may have been differently if they had gotten along all those years. And they both realize that life wouldn't have been as much fun without their stupid arguments, and silly banter.

Now, almost four years later, things are quite different between the duo. They're closer than they ever thought they'd be, and their circumstances are sure as hell different.

But when both are down, or simply looking back on it all, they both travel back to some of their favorite memories; memories of the two from what seems like a different time. They think back to when Caroline Forbes was just the manic blonde little girl, who spent her days fighting Tyler Lockwood, the self-centered little boy.

_**END.**_

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_**So, love it or hate it? Let me know! :).**_


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